I had to comment!

A lot of dangerous shortcuts are easier. That's actually part of what makes them dangerous: they take less effort, which is attractive, like making a habit of not tying in twice. Complacency is probably the leading cause of serious mishaps.
 
Are you tree police for real? If not deputized, why? I don't understand this compulsion in tree guys. No other trades are like this that I've been in or around.

These dudes are just trying to make it through the day, earn a buck. Seems fine to me. If you don't truly want to help and offer knowledge in earnest then just pass on by and go about your business. Really, how much good is a snarky comment? Ego stroking and nosiness is all it is, unless you genuinely offer knowledge and respect.

And then photograph strangers to have a laugh at their expense with the boys online. Embarrassing.
 
First of all Chauncy, yes, I am to quote you "the tree police". I am a sworn enforcement officer charged with enforcing the local municipal tree ordinance. Our ordinance requires that tree services hold a city issued license that involves passing written and field test that demonstrates competency. There are a lot of services operating that are not licensed. I had been notified by a license holder of work occurring at this location. When I arrived I discovered that this was a properly licensed company. The required test is weighted toward safety and the Z-133 document. In pointing out the probable OSHA response, pointed out that an accident or willful fine could cause the company to collapse financially and they wouldn't have a job. I know these guys and they know me. The exchange was amicable and hopefully they will think before doing it again.
 
That sounds great, if true. But why post it here? Do you think these guys appreciate that? The fact that you took this photo while on duty as a "sworn officer" at your government job is even more embarrassing. Pretty unprofessional to say the least. Or is this s.o.p. in your tree cop department?
 
Do you pay workers comp?

I don't know...but maybe "this compulsion in tree guys" comes from owners weary of paying among the highest workers comp rates of any industry because of carelessness and dumb decisions of others. We all pay for those things...and it ain't cheap!
 
That's irrelevant. I respect my fellow humans and would not post their photos online in poor taste. Especially if I took said photos while at work as a "sworn officer." You could get fired for something like this.
 
CHAUNC3Y GARD3N3R said:
...is not going to have any effect...
Click to expand...

A bit out of context quote...but...it may save a life.

Set all the rest of the kerfluffle aside.

The scenario that plays out in my head is that I see these guys...don't stop, for whatever reason...then watch the fatal news story. I don't want to think of the metal burden I'd have to carry.

I call this a 'regret tape'. I regret not saying/doing something.

My guess is that most people react like this too.
 
Like I said, if you actually care and want to offer someone a helmet or suggest a safer approach respectfully and earnestly then by all means stop and have that interaction.

That has nothing to do with posting their photo online for an ego stroke. I wonder what old man's superior sworn officer would think about this post. I'm sure it's not protocol...
 
I would rather be called out and humiliated in front of an anonymous group of peers than fined. Maybe they'd like to avoid ridicule, and will take some extra safety precautions in the future so as to save themselves the public embarassment.

Or maybe they don't give a fuck that we're all here talking shit about them. They may be mature enough to not let it get under their skin, especially since they were caught dead to rights with a lame ass excuse. I have done that kind of shit too, working off the bobcat grapples, but I threw on my helmet and harness and tossed my lanyard over a branch; took 2 extra minutes.

We aren't hurting them physically or financially. We are teasing them. That is the lightest punishment you can get, and if they have such thin skin that this really bothers them, then they don't have thick enough skin to be cutting trees without some basic protections.

These are the bad apples that spoil the barrel. If they do fuck up, our whole industry takes a hit. All forms of insurance use these data points to assess the rest of us. Them fucking up in GA can hurt your business in CO. That's part of why our rates are obnoxiously expensive.
 
So do we actually care about these guys or our own bottom line?

The rates are high because the work is inherently dangerous. Plenty of people die or get maimed or damage property while doing everything "by the book."

If you can't make good coin because the insurance is too high then it's not a good industry to be in. I personally have made plenty of good money in trees, hard earned it may be but the rates aren't ruining my day. Neither are these guys in the photo, it really has no effect on me at all.

One fine Saturday morning some crazies were removing a big dead tree behind my house, no PPE and the ground guy had the rope wrapped around his arm. I said "hey man, do you want to borrow a helmet?" He said "no" I said "I wouldn't wrap the rope around my arm like that." He said "it's good for ten thousand pounds." I said "okay, see you around." True story
 
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